Galatians 3:12

And the Law is not of faith: but the man that doeth them, shall liue in them. Galatians 3:12 (KJV)

The Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the churches in Galatia to confront legalism and the false teaching that salvation could be earned by keeping the Mosaic Law. In Galatians 3:12 he draws a sharp contrast between the law and faith, underscoring the principle of justification by faith alone.

The phrase “the law is not of faith” signals that the law and faith are distinct. The law, consisting of the commandments given in the Old Testament, operates on the basis of works and human effort rather than on trust in God’s promises or reliance on His grace. While the law reveals God’s moral standards, it cannot itself provide salvation.

Paul follows the statement with “the man that doeth them shall live in them.” He invokes language reminiscent of Leviticus 18:5, although the exact wording is not found in Galatians nor in that Levitical passage. The reference serves to highlight the requirement of perfect obedience to the law—a standard no human being can meet. As Romans 3:23 reminds us, all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, making reliance on the law for righteousness impossible.

Because no one can fulfill the law perfectly, the law brings a curse, a point Paul develops further in the surrounding verses (see Galatians 3:13‑14). Christ became a curse for us, and through faith in Him believers receive the promise of the Spirit. The overall thrust of Galatians 3:12, therefore, is to show that salvation is not attained through works or strict adherence to the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, the means of receiving God’s grace and justification.